


Origin Without Shame

by Aurora_Dawn



Series: Forsaken in the light of Day [5]
Category: One Piece, 宝石の国 | Houseki no Kuni | Land of the Lustrous (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Houseki no Kuni Fusion, Angst with a Happy Ending, Attempted Suicide, F/F, F/M, Lunarians (Houseki No Kuni) - Freeform, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Trans Roronoa Zoro, attempted genocide
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-12 02:14:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29502558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aurora_Dawn/pseuds/Aurora_Dawn
Summary: Zora, a gem who wishes to be given a body. She finally gets what she has been wishing for and spends her happy years working together with her master when, suddenly, she dies in action. After her creator's death, she mutilates herself and takes up the tradition passed down in her creator's family. When she creates Law, he reflects how torn up she is inside. In turn, she loses herself and nearly ends up destroying everything she swore to protect. Is there a better end to everything?
Relationships: Kuina/Roronoa Zoro, Roronoa Zoro/Trafalgar D. Water Law
Series: Forsaken in the light of Day [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1931977
Kudos: 2





	1. Born of the body

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Born of the body, return from the abyss once one came. In the light of day, she may seem normal, but not everything is what it seems.

_Pinpoints of light._

_It's dark from where she stands._

_Glimmering green. Shards of her unfurnished body lay next to others just like her._

_"How I wish to be real," She says, curling in on herself._

_"Give me a body, please. I wish to fight too..."_

Kuina looked out the window, blades of grass dancing in the wind. The bell rings loudly, voices arising from outside. The bell rings a few more times, the sound of footsteps rushing inside the building. 

Glimmering hair shines of colors. Bright smiles, black swords. A wind blows through the hallway as they chatter happily, each one greeting her with a smile. "Kuina-san," Came the voice she was waiting for. Kuina turns, her back straight as she bowed. "Good morning Mihawk-sensei." A hand patted her head, strands of neat black hair falling out of place. She straightens and was greeted by the other sensei, who happened to be her father. "Good morning, Kuina. I see you have been waiting as we asked." Mihawk says, looking out over the field the white marbled building oversees. The faint sound of waves crashing into the shore could be heard. "Yes, Mihawk-sensei," Kuina nods, playing with her fingers behind her back to stave off her nervousness. Her father smiles, tucking the strands back in place.

"Of course, I was nervous too when I did this." Koshiro laughs, smiling when Mihawk glared at him. "Un. I have yet to hear Kid's report about the fields today, hopefully, everything is okay..." Kuina sighs, rubbing her forehead. "Do not worry about the reports, today is an important day that everyone will be able to witness." Mihawk fixes his kimono, the black folds barely catching the light. Kuina nods as the pair begin walking through the hallway, footsteps echoing through the corridor. The soft chatter of other humans reaches her ears, a few familiar faces talking softly in a room. One of them looks up and their eyes catching her own before she left their view. "There's no need to be nervous Kuina," Koshiro smiles again, patting her arm as they walk. "I know, it's just..." "Nervousness clouds the mind, do not let it get to you." Mihawk clips, shaking his head.

Koshiro reached over to tap his shoulder, shaking his head. 

_Standing alone, invisible drops run down her cheeks._

_"Will I be thrown away?"_

The loud creak of heavy doors pulls Kuina from her head. Thoughts that are not her own run through her like she had been stabbed through with a sword. Before her stood many people with glimmering hair, sun catching on the thick strands. "Good morning Kuina!" They all greet, bowing at the waist. Kuina gave a smile and waved them off, watching as they disperse to let her through. Cases made of glass stand before her and she bites her lips. So many gems waiting to be picked, to be given life. _Please... I have been waiting for so long..._ There's that voice again. Kuina grounds herself and begins looking. "Take your time Kuina, there is no need to rush," Koshiro says over eager whispers, making her tense shoulders sag a little. Oh, well that's good then. The beautiful colors shine brightly as if to preen her attention.

She stops in front of one particular case that just sings for her to pick out of. Nestled in rich deep green plush, roughened edges of a gem Kuina has never seen sit before her. "Ah," A voice speaks up, causing Kuina to turn. A woman with long black crystal hair steps beside her with a sweet smile. "This here is Kornerupine, we have yet to salvage all of it from the creek not that long from here." She speaks, pointing at the gem. Kuina nods and opens the case, reaching out and running a finger across the raw ore. 

_A warm touch spreads across her fractured body, making her look up at the pinpoints of light. A voice reaches her and she reaches back out._

_Are you going to help me?_ The voice asked Kuina, making her pause. "I want this one, I'll go with the other's to salvage the rest." Kuina turns to the two sensei's with a firm look on her face. Mihawk nods as she closes the case door. "Of course, make sure you are adequately prepared before you leave." Mihawk dismisses everyone with a wave of the hand. Kuina leaves first, heading to her room to grab her sword. The black blade made of obsidian winked at her, its wooden saya painted white to be distinguished from the others. The bell outside rang loudly, three rings in total. Everyone is to return to their post. Kuina slips her sword onto her hip. She was greeted by the same woman with two other girls. Pink and orange crystal hair shine, casting colored light over the ground and floor.

"We'll be accompanying you to the Western Creek where we found the Kornerupine." The orange-haired gem speaks, smiling. "I'm Nami, an orange garnet. That's Robin, she's obsidian, and Perona over there is pink Kunzite." Nami points at the other two. Kuina looked between the three women before nodding. "Okay, we should get going then." Kuina begins walking, the other three following after her. The heavy footsteps of the three gems made her feel somewhat eager. "How have the sunspots been?" Kuina asks as they walk. Perona perks up first, putting on a big smile. "There hasn't been much activity since winter is going to begin in a few days. Xue and you guys should be able to keep track of them once we all go to sleep." Perona says as she walks, Nami nodding. A wind blows by and glitters of color fly.

The grass shines beneath her feet and she takes a deep breath. "How long will you spend?" Robin asks softly, standing beside Kuina as she looks up at the sky. "Who knows..." She sighs, tilting her head back down and continuing their adventure to the creek. It was quiet between the four of them, grass rustling under their feet. Leaves fall from the trees, decorating the ground. Robin smiles when a sharp wind blows, strands of neat black hair flying. "It seems Winter is approaching much faster," Nami sighs, looking up at the somewhat cloudy sky. Kuina hums, the shoes she's wearing wetting as she steps into a puddle. "I wonder, why did this one not fall from the ore deposit?" Perona asks, turning to Robin. "Kornerupine is a very rare gem that is barely known. I can't say I know much about it, but the ore deposit does not have the right inclusions for Kornerupine." 

Kuina barely listened to the three gems talk, tall watergrass brushing against her legs. The water is cold against her skin as she steps, water splashing and clinging to the white socks that hug her shins and calves. "Here we are, Kuina-san. This is where we found the Kornerupine sticking out of the ground. If we didn't find it, the Lunarians might've taken the ore." Robin steps forward, pointing at the hill not that far from them. Weathered rocks shining with water, dirt that was still damp from being dug up around the hole full of glimmering green. "From what is told in the rest of the worlds' record, Kornerupine usually grows in small clumps and mostly cold weather," Robin explains, walking through the water with Kuina. "The raw ore has yet to be polished to show what it could truly look like." Nami hums and stands beside the hole with Perona.

Kuina nods, dropping to her knees on the damp earth. "Did one of you bring a bowl to carry this back?" "I brought a few, is this enough?" Nami holds out three wooden bowls. Kuina takes them from her and sets them down on the grass. Kuina takes the satchel resting on her hip and opens it. She pulls out a chipping tool and hammer, pulling on white cotton gloves. "We'll stay on watch while you work, Kuina-san," Robin whispers, standing straight and resting a hand on her sword. "Okay, if thing's get too dangerous, just let me know." Perona makes an affirmative noise, giving the human a thumbs-up. Kuina scoots forward until her knees were in the mud, setting a bowl underneath the deposit. She raises one of her hands, steadying the chipping tool on the raw ore before taking the hammer and tapping on the butt. 

The sound of crystals cracking and chipping away fills the space around her. Robin wanders around the perimeter of the area, Perona standing on top of the hill while Nami is behind her. A rather large chunk falls into the bowl but Kuina continues to work, picking up one of the chipped pieces off the ground. Brown sticks to the cotton gloves as she wipes away the mud, bringing the piece close. Robin watches quietly as Kuina works, a soft look in her eyes. The human set aside the bowl that was now full to the brim and grabs the next one, setting it back down. Perona is whistling some tune, her eyes that were obviously painted over in a black mixture wandering around the sky. "I heard four more gems will be added soon," Nami speaks, interrupting the silence. "Yes, Koshiro and Mihawk-sensei are working on a quadruple gem find," Kuina answers, eyes fixated on the green.

"Oh?" Robin perks up from afar, stepping closer. "Do you know what they are?" She asks, hair swaying with each elegant step. "Mm, they're all calcite crystals." Kuina wipes the sweat beading on her hairline with the back of her forearm. Robin nods, standing in the water. Kuina strikes down with the hammer when it slipped from her grip, the tool falling out of her grip and the crystal jutting out flying into pieces. "Shit..." The human curses under her breath. Nami turns and gave a questioning look. "What's wrong?" She asks with an eyebrow raise. Kuina looked over her shoulder at the Orange Garnet and shook her head. "It's nothing, my grip just slipped." Kuina turns back to the almost empty deposit and beings picking up the pieces to put in the bowl. The more she chipped, the more she realized how eager she was. 

With a quick shake of the head, she focused back on the task at hand. One hit, two hits, three hits... On the fourth, it burst into pieces and fell into the bowl. The second one was now full, so she moved it to the side. She grabs the third bowl and begins to finish chipping away at the ore. Kuina lets out a pleased sigh and sits back on her haunches. "Have you finished already?" Perona looks down at the human with a surprised look. "Yup, now let's bring this back before it gets too dark." Kuina stands up while she pulls off the gloves stained with mud. She packs away her tools and grabs one of the bowls, handing one to Nami and another to Perona. Robin takes the last bowl before the human could even bend to pick it up. "Don't worry, let's head back now." Robin holds the bowl close to make sure nothing spills.

Kuina gives her a confused look before nodding. "Okay, let's go." Kuina beings walking, tying the satchel closed as she walks. Her knees are covered in mud but she can wash off once she gets back. "Mihawk-sensei probably moved the ore to your room by now, so we'll drop it off there while you go wash up." Nami bumps her hip against Perona's, a loud clunk resonating between them. "Oh, okay." Kuina kept her answer short, barely able to contain the excitement running through her body. Though all of the gems are not aware of it, she knows all of their personality traits like the back of her hand. She knows that Nami and Perona are being nice because they were ordered to, but it's obvious to tell that they are jealous. The building they live in came into view. Kuina surged forward and turned back while jogging.

"Be careful handling those!" Kuina calls, facing forward to head in and clean herself up. "Ugh, finally," Perona huffed, rolling her eyes. "I don't even know why we were sent with her. She's not even that good-looking. I rather she kept working with us than do whatever the hell she's going to do with this." Perona stomps her feet to shake off the mud before stepping onto the marble. "Yeah! This gem isn't even that pretty, unlike us." Nami snickered with Perona. Robin frowns at the two's antics, taking the bowls away from them. "You two can head back to your posts, I'll take this to Kuina-san's room." Robin shooed them off, listening to them thank her with empty words. Robin looks down at the raw ore, a soft look in her eyes as she balanced the bowls in her arms. The trip to Kuina's room was a quiet one.

She steps into the marble room, setting the bowls down gently on the giant window sill. The room was bare, unlike the gems' rooms that are filled with all sorts of things to cater to their needs. It was unfair, Robin found, that humans must uphold them. They were made to protect them, not the other way around. For Robin, who was older than all the other gems there, shook her head at the sight. Robin leaves the room, Kuina appearing moments later. She felt refreshed and much better. Kuina sits on the bed built into the wall, the cot stiff under her. Besides the bowls set down were the original pieces she saw earlier. The voice that was familiar to her echoed around her. _Thank you._ She smiles and stands up. "I'll piece you together soon. I need to form you out into a large crystal to begin working on your body." Kuina ran a hand over one of the shards, closing her eyes.

 _I can wait a little longer then._ Kuina nods and smiles more. The white yukata she was wearing felt much lighter now. Kuina leaves her room. She walks down the steps and through the hallways. Shelves filled her view and the sound of tools scraping against a hard surface. Luminescent crystals sitting in sterile water lights up the hallway, the sun slowly setting. A white coat flits in her view, a body resting in a box in front of her. Robin was examining the crystal she was chipping at. Her eyes move to look at her. "I see you harvested more," Kuina says softly, watching the glittering black gem be set down next to countless others shaped just like it. "Yes, I have." Robin nods, kneeling beside the box. Kuina moved closer to get a better look at the body. Black shines a deep earthy green, the legs and arms missing, the head missing too with holes in the chest.

The legs rested in another box, cradled by the wine pillows. "How many years has it been now?" "Three-hundred and forty-three years," Robin answers, running a gloved hand over the long black hair. "Sometimes I wish it was me instead of him, you know? He's very young and is very unique." Robin traced the face slowly, a sad look on her face. Robin turned and picked up another box, opening it to show the hands and arms. "I had to break him into pieces to store him away while I'm out on duty." Robin sighs as the sky dyes orange. A box longer than the others was pulled from one of the shelves near the floor. Laquered wood shined dimly, Kuina sitting down beside the long row of sculpted gems. "I had replaced his eyes with red rubies because his original eyes were stolen by the Lunarians before we could stop them."

Robin opens the box slowly, Kuina's lips parted in shock. A face, serene and calm. Long hair filled the box, curling over itself when it reached the end. "He was not born or made like this," Robin looks up at the human, eyes forlorn before she looks back down. "One of the gems here made him like this. As she always said, "born of the body, I was made to be more beautiful than all of you". I couldn't save his inclusions to save his memories, so I do not know if he remembers me at all." Robin lifts the head out of the box and presses her forehead against the other one. "I'm sorry," Kuina whispers, feeling bad for Robin. "This is not your fault, this happened way before you or some of your family members were even thought of. Hancock is very full of herself and will get rid of anyone she thinks is better than her." 

Kuina bites her lip. Boa Hancock, a Black Tourmaline. Though she is stunning in both body and color, she is very full of herself with some of the other female gems following in her footsteps. Robin takes the wooden bowl full of clear resin and a wooden knife. She pulls the top off and sets it to the side. "I am disgusted by her actions. What she had done costed my partner, the one who was with me when I was no longer wanted. He was barely even one-hundred years old when this happened." Robin scoops up the body out of the box and stands up. She sets the body on the table, the head resting on its side. Kuina watched silently ask Robin continued to talk. "His worth is much more than Hancock's. A black Emerald. He is very nice and gentle, pulling through in battle with amazing speed and wonderful tactics. She was jealous that he was wanted by the enemy more." She picked up one of the arms and scooped up some resin on the knife. 

The soft scrape of her applying the resin filled the space between each sentence. A soft clink of the arm connecting to the shoulder echoed down the hallway, faint voices. "For the number of times he got in trouble, he always came back to me with a big smile." Robin smiled at the memory as she put the other arm back on. Kuina hums, wondering what it would be like to hold a conversation with the gem. "He was very shy when he was first given a body. He was not happy being a woman and came to me to fix him. I was happy to do so, but our Sensei at the time was not until they understood that we sometimes do not agree with the gendered bodies given to us. He was very happy to have the body he has now, that was until Hancock did this to him." Robin furrowed her brows as she placed the hands on the wrists.

They fall limp once in place. "So this one was originally a she?" Robin nods, running a hand over the hole-covered chest. "Yes, he never wanted to be given the body like Hancock and I have. Even after I sent him away, he kept coming back to conversate with me. He always told me I looked so lonely," She chuckles as she picks up the head. Kuina can see the love in Robin's eyes, how much she cared for someone like the Black Emerald. "When he was stationed to fight for the first time, he wanted to be paired with me. I was always alone when I was sent out." The Obsidian set the head down on the table gently. She scoops up more resin and applies it to the clean-cut. "He was always quiet, even in battle. I even taught him how to repair others if I am unable to." Robin sets down the knife in the resin, taking both hands to steady the head she is holding.

"I used what was left from his chest on his hair to make it longer." Robin presses the cuts together, the line sealing shut. "Why didn't you save it instead?" Kuina asks, watching her pull away after wiping up the access resin. "If I knew this was going to happen, I would've." Robin straightens herself. The sky is now dark, the stars winking to life as the crystals glow a deep purple light. "Oh..." Kuina didn't know what to say. The human watches as Robin takes a glass container full of powered finish, tapping the thick brush against the lines. "It's fine, Kuina-san. Hopefully, this won't happen to the one you shall be making soon." Kuina nods and looks down at the gems. Black Sapphire, it seems. Robin picks up one of the many and slides them into place. "No matter how many times I try, he never wakes up."

Kuina swallows. "The more I do this, the more difficult it becomes. I wish this never happened, but what can I say? I'm not wanted anymore." Robin closed her eyes as she slides the last one in place. Her hands pull away and the silence is tense between them. "I shall leave these in overnight, if you need paper it's on the top shelf all the way to the right. We didn't collect a lot of hemps this year so try not to waste it." A bittersweet smile was on Robin's lips, it makes Kuina's insides twist up. The human nods as a white blanket covered the resting body. "Thank you... for listening. Right now is especially tough because winter is beginning and newbies are coming." Robin whispered, facing away from Kuina as she climbed the latter for paper. "Yeah, I know. If you need something, you can always ask me." "Always. Thank you again, Kuina-san." Robin sets a hand over the blanket-covered head as Kuina left.

How many nights has Kuina seen her do this? It's been like this since the day she learned to walk. Some nights, Robin would weep over the body riddled with holes. Non-existent tears, soft dry sobs. Kuina rubbed her face with her free hand. She finds herself standing in the hallway adjacent to the bell outside over the wide pond. Beside each pillar of white is a glowing crystal, colorless light. They change to a shade of sky blue as Kuina stands in the center, soft footsteps reaching her ears. "Kuina-san, may I ask why you are still up?" Came a sweet voice. The human turns to see long cloudy blue hair pulled into a braid. Blue eyes are soft with worry. "Vivi? I could say the same to you. Blue Larimar does not work the best during the night." Kuina retorts, a smile on her lips. "I saw that you were not in your room. Did you visit Robin-san again?" Kuina nods.

"How is he?" "I can't say, but it's probably the same result as last time." Vivi nods. "I do hope you get enough rest tonight. Koshiro-sensei had me piece together the Kornerupine for you. I polished it too to make your work easier." Vivi bows at the waist before smiling. "Thanks." A hum came from the gem as Kuina walked by her. Kuina walks back to her room with the papers in her arms. A few boxes that looked like the one Robin has used off to the side of her room. Next to all of that was the now block of polished Kornerupine. A loud yawn left the human and she sets down the papers and crawls into her bed, falling asleep rather quickly. She pulls the sheets up to her chin and closes her eyes.

Morning came with a cold breeze, the sky cloudy. Kuina sits up and rubs her face. "Good morning Kuina-san," Came a voice from the doorway. Kuina blinks a few times before mumbling a good morning back. "Here are a few pencils." Robin sets down the pencils on the paper and turns to the humans. "Mm... I'll be out in a few to help you guys get the rooms ready." "There's no need, the quadruplets had done it for us over the night." Robin hands Kuina her outfit, turning away to give her privacy as she dresses. "Send them my way so I can give them a rundown of everything then." Kuina sighs, sitting on the window sill. "Of course, stay warm this winter," Robin says with a smile. Kuina hummed and watched her leave. "I should start designing your body now then, I won't really be doing anything during the winter," Kuina says to herself as she gets up to look for a clipboard.

A knock made her look over her shoulder from where she was looking at the shelves built into the wall. Four people stand in the doorway. "Good morning, Nico-san told us to come see you." The gem with curled purple hair speaks, voice soft and deep. "Yes, I'm Kuina. And you guys are...?" Kuina turns to the group. "My name is Murasakino. The one with blue hair is Aoi. The one with pink is Lux and the other one is Hyozan." Murasakino points at the other three. "Okay, well since winter is almost here there's not much you four can do. I would wait until next spring." Kuina sighs, rubbing the back of her neck. Aoi nods and leaves first, the other three following. Kuina sighs again and goes back to looking for the clipboard. The voice has been quiet, probably dormant now that winter is just about here.

She smiled when she finds what she's looking for. Kuina hums to herself as she puts the paper into the clipboard, sitting down and sketching the day away. She barely finished designing the head when she was rudely interrupted. "There you are," Came the one gem she was not in the mood to hear. "I want you to find my earrings." The woman talking was none other than Boa Hancock. Kuina pursed her lips. "No, get the hell out of my room now." Kuina goes back to sketching. Hancock scoffs, crossing her arms over her chest. She leaves and Kuina sighs. Her pencil dances across the paper, the wind whistling outside. "Born of the body, huh..." Snow begins to fall outside as she draws. A curvaceous body rounded to be shown off and fit the voice that echoed in her head. Kuina smiled as she draws the hair in thick strands.

Sharp eyes, lashes with loving detail. She writes down small snippets of how to go about doing this, humming to herself. There must've been extra Kornerupine since she only gathered enough to barely make the head. She thought of how Boa's body was, with the large breasts and wide hips to fit the hourglass. Kuina tapped her chin. Tall, thin legs that fit the curvy hips, strong shoulders. A set jaw with a pair of fine lips. The outfit for her would come later, but Kuina wanted to make the best she can make. Before she knew it, she was drawing the envisioned Kornerupine out in battle. Two swords, one on each hip. Long arms to fit the proportions, elegant hands. She draws the body in different poses. Shading in the hair, erasing out to make them shine. Draw what you envision them to be, make them turn their heads.

Make them jealous, make them fight to work with you. Kuina smiled to herself as she flips over the paper to the back. She begins drawing out the torso, writing out the measurements and everything. She has all winter to work on this, a smile big on her face. Maybe she can work on the clothes that can only be used for her. Yeah. Kuina sets the paper to the side. next to the block that towers over her. Robin must've put in the effort. Bless her. "I wonder... instead of black, what about..." Kuina mumbles to herself as the snow falls faster. "Kuina, come tell everyone goodnight before they sleep." Comes a voice that startles her. The clipboard goes flying, landing on the ground with a loud thwack. Mihawk is standing there, piercing yellow eyes hard. "Yes, yes. I'll be there in a few." Kuina got off the sill and picked up the clipboard. She sets it down on one of the boxes and follows after her sensei.

Thick white sheets are hung up everywhere except for the entrance. The room with the cases is dripping with silk, most of the gems nestled into the plush sheets. "Oyasumi, everyone," Kuina calls, smiling when everyone says goodnight back. She wanders the halls a bit, thinking of what kind of outfit her gem would wear. "Ah, Kuina-san." A voice called, the crystals in the hallway she was in a deep purple. Robin stood before her in a simple white Kimono. "Robin, aren't you going to sleep this year?" The Obsidian shakes her head. "No, I'm going to be working on a way to fix my partner. Be safe." Robin passes, her arms crossed in the sleeves. Kuina raised an eyebrow before heading back to her room. It's cold, the snow outside piling slowly. A sigh left her as she picks up the clipboard. 

"Born of the body, huh? I wonder..."

Drawn eyes stare back at her.

_Maybe everything isn't so bad..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes will be fixed!


	2. Eye of the Spirit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the eye of the Spirit, she may be beautiful. But, she can see everything, just as she knows everything.

Robin sighs as she leans against the cold wall, Kuina beside her sketching away. "How did everything go?" Kuina asks as she looks up from her drawing. Robin opens her eyes and looks at the table. "He was barely able to even sit up before he fell back asleep..." Kuina sets down her clipboard. "Really? Lemme see something." The human gets up to grab a pair of cotton gloves. She was too eager to start working on their newest member, but it seemed Robin was especially lonely this winter. "You can't think of going to sleep when you're trying to wake the one you love," Robin whispers. Kuina hums, pulling down the blanket covering the Black emerald. "You tried black Sapphire, right? What about Black Tourmaline or Peridot?" The human questions as she looks over the holes. Robin hums as she looks outside. 

A loud crash echoed over the white land, both ignoring it as ice goes flying up into the air miles away. "Xue's at it again, I see." Kuina sighs as she stands straight. "Yup, working ever hard, that one." Robin smiles as she picks up the clipboard. "I can head with you to the ore deposit to get some of the gems I mentioned, we can have Xue with us when they're done destroying the floes." Kuina turned to Robin with a soft smile. "Oh? Are you sure Kuina-san? Shouldn't you be working on...?" Robin trailed off, looking away. Her cheeks were a shade of purple, eyes intently focused on the white snow as an ear-splitting squeal rang out. Kuina laughs a bit and sets a hand on the gem's shoulder. "Of course, you've been working very hard to fix him so, I want to try as well." Robin smiled. "Let me get dressed then. I will meet you at the entrance with Xue to head over to the Cape of Red." 

Kuina nods, pulling the blanket back over the sleeping form. Robin leaves as Kuina grabs her white sword. She slides the hilt onto her hip and looked out the window. A gem with colorless hair sails through the sky, a cloud of snow trailing after the black heels. Sharp eyes meet hers and they're taking the ice cleaver they have and slamming it into one more ice floe. Kuina sighed as ice falls into the snow, seawater turning into snow moments after it flies into the air. A body lands in front of them, a black blade glinting in the grey light. "Good afternoon Kuina-sensei." They speak, standing straight. Lanky legs paired with a white outfit make Kuina shake her head. "Always on Ice duty, Xue? I would wear something more protective." Sharp eyes narrow at her comment. "As you should know, this was an issued outfit by Mihawk-sensei." Xue crossed their arms over their chest.

Kuina raised her hand to flick them in the forehead, snickering when they yelled obscenities at her. "Hahaha! Anyway," Kuina sighed, shaking her head. "Robin and I are heading to the Cape of Red to gather Peridot and Black Tourmaline," Kuina explains, watching as Xue sheathed the ice cleaver. "Are you sure? Hancock may try to steal them if Robin isn't fast enough." Grey eyes close in thought. Kuina crosses her arms over her chest. "It's whatever, but we should hurry just to make sure. Koshiro and Mihawk-sensei are meditating." Xue nods and jumps into the room. "Did we get enough hemp this year?" Kuina shakes her head as they begin walking down the hallway. "I see. Perona is still crazy about the Lunarians but I guess I can make an exception this winter..." Xue mumbles.

Their heels are loud as they walk down the hallway, Robin waiting for them with her sword. "Xue-san. Glad to see you again." "And I expected you to be sleeping this year." Xue answers. Kuina huffed. "No time for little quarrels right now. Let's go before the sun decides to show." Kuina pushes between the two and jumps into the snow. Kuina lets out a shivering breath as the older gems follow her. "Idiot, don't you know how far the cape is?" Xue mocks, crossing their arms over their chest. Robin laughs as the two bickers, glad she wasn't on her own to figure everything out. The snow crunched under their feet as they walk together, the snow falling slowly. "Winter came sooner this year..." Robin sighs, stepping over frozen branches that stick out of the ground. Xue hums as they step over ice.

"It has. The Lunarians haven't been showing themselves as much either. Let's hope they aren't planning something." Kuina nods, hands tight on her sword as they walk. Robin looks up at the sky, snow falling on her face gently. Kuina looks back at her quietly. "Eye of the spirit. They say that what's best at giving morality and perseverance." Robin looks back at Kuina, a smile on her lips. Kuina takes the words to heart and looks forward. "I'll keep that in mind." Silence befell them all, walking quietly through the snow. The ground begins to turn red, the ocean crashing against the red sand of the cape. Snow melts into the sand, still warm from the sunlight. "Here we are. Black Tourmaline should be somewhere near the ground of the cape and Peridot is up towards the middle." Robin nods stepping forward.

"I'll check the middle, you two can scour the bottom." Robin begins climbing the red rocks, a look of determination on her face. "Is she still trying to fix him?" Xue asks as they walk to the bottom of the cape. Kuina is not that far behind them when she answers. "Yeah, Black Sapphire didn't work." Xue sighs as they kneel into the sand. "Isn't he a lost cause at this point?" "You wouldn't understand because you work alone." Kuina snaps, a look of rejection on her face. Xue's eyes widened for only a fraction before they look back at where they were digging in the ground. "..." Kuina rubs her face. Robin calls for them up above. "Hey! I found some Peridot!" A few rocks fell from where she was hanging, Xue moving out of the way. Kuina called back with a cheer. A large clump of green crystals falls.

Xue yelps as the ground shakes at the impact, glaring up at Robin. "Damnit, Nico!" Xue shouts. Kuina laughs as they shake their fists at the female gem, her laugh reaching them from above. She jumps down, sand flying up as she lands. "Thank you again Kuina-san!" Robin smiles, Xue, throwing Black Tourmaline at her. "You can carry that damned thing back, I'm taking the black tourmaline!" Xue fumes as they scoop up armfuls of black crystals. Robin watches as the angry Antarcticite storms off, muttering words under their breath. "Don't worry about them, probably pissed at what I said." Kuina shrugs as Robin chips at the peridot with tools she brought with her. "Possibly. Now that I have enough peridot we can head back." Robin holds up roughly cut-out crystals. They gleam a bright green. 

Kuina takes some and they're off, leaving the remainder partially buried in the snow. They jog back to the building, chatting as they run. "I'm glad you decided to help me this winter," Robin speaks, face soft. Kuina's cheeks flush red at the praise, become bashful. "Well... I wasn't going to start working until I finished the outfit. So, I thought I'd help you out a little bit." Robin smiles as she jumps over sticks, her sword bouncing against her hip with loud clacks. Kuina smiles back and nearly trips when her foot hits the marble of the building. She stumbles a bit and laughs it off, Robin coming up beside her. "I'll bring this to your station, I need to look at a few things anyway." Kuina takes the peridot away from Robin, watching as she bowed with a thank you before leaving. The human walks beside the table, setting down the crystals.

Black Tourmaline shines dully as Kuina sits down. How can Robin live like this? How can she sit and do nothing while Boa acts like she never did this? Robin was obviously torn up inside. Behind fake smiles and calm eyes, Robin was far from sane. Kuina picked up the clipboard and looked at the smudged paper. How can she help her? She was just a human who carved gems into living beings. Kuina picks up the pencil and begins drawing once again, quiet even as Robin returned to start carving away the crystals they brought back. "If you need fabric, it's in Kiyoko's room," Robin says as she holds up one of the cylinders of green. "How can you live like this?" Kuina asks, completely ignoring Robin. "You've been trying to save your partner for almost four-hundred years without help." The human stops drawing.

"Isn't it killing you?"

Robin pauses where she was about to strike, eyes wide. "Kuina-san..." She lowers her arms in defeat, the tool clattering to the ground. "We were made to be protectors of the humans that remain. We're not supposed to feel emotions or express interest. That was the purpose of your family, to make us and protect the humans. I shouldn't have to worry about him, but maybe I've grown too close to you humans." Robin looks away, her hands balled up into a fist. "WHAT?!" Kuina dropped her clipboard, her pencil snapping in her hand. "If that was the real purpose of my family, then none of you would act the way you do! You go on spouting this nonsensical bullshit all while you act like this! What the hell is your problem, Robin?! You decide bitching is enough while constantly telling yourself that you aren't wanted?! You know what would happen if you weren't wanted."

Robin was looking at the human with wide eyes. "I understand you hurt, and that you tried for years to wake him up, but with an attitude like that, nothing is going to get done. You need to stop relying on people that make you feel good about yourself and do it for yourself." Kuina picked up her clipboard, tucking it under her arm. "I'm not going to keep helping you while your attitude is like this." Kuina steps past Robin, looking back at her as she looked down at the ground. "There are some things you can't let go, or get over, and I understand that. But, this needs to stop. You need to get over it." Kuina spits, walking away. Robin shook her head and picked the tool up. Kuina paced to Kiyoko's room, hands shaking at what she had done. She wasn't planning to explode but she just had enough.

She grabs a sewing kit, black and white silk, and a bunch of other fabrics before heading to her own room. "Sometimes, I wonder why shit like this never gets resolved," Kuina mutters as she sits on the floor beside the crystal. There is no voice that comforts her, her thoughts untouched. Kuina sets a hand on the Kornerupine, it cold underneath her gloved hand. She shakes her head and begins working, fabric and cloth strewn all over the floor. 

It seemed Robin had given up. 

Kuina stands in front of the table, empty. The body is no longer there. Glimmering Peridot is sitting on the shelf in front of her, the black tourmaline hid behind it. "Are you looking for Robin?" Kuina turned to see Xue, a hard frown on their face. "Yeah, what happened?" Kuina steps away to talk to Xue. "She went to sleep, said she would come back during the spring." Kuina shakes her head, looking at the snow behind the Antarcticite. "I see..." Kuina sighed. "I overheard you two the other day. You're not wrong for telling her that, y'know? I may only be three-thousand-years younger than her but that was starting to get ridiculous." Xue shrugs. Kuina sighed again, rubbing the back of her neck. "Yeah, I know but I feel bad for yelling at her." Xue pats them on the head, a sour smile on their face.

"Sometimes, you need to hurt someone to get the point across." Xue pulled away and walked off, snow crunching under them. Kuina watched with wide eyes. Winter was coming to a close, seeing how she spent months working on outfits. Was it really only the other day that she yelled at Robin? Kuina walks back to her room, hands covered with bandaids for pricking herself so many times with the needle. The unfinished outfit for the coming spring. Beside the bed on mannequin bodies were outfits for the summer and fall. A noise fell from her lips as she picks up the black silk and continues sewing. 

Every day began getting warmer and warmer. Koshiro and Mihawk-sensei woke from their meditation to pick up on the remainder of winter as Xue melts away. Kuina's hands are sore and bloody from spending countless hours at carving and chipping. That voice she had been waiting for all winter stirs inside. It just mumbles that make no sense, Kuina popping off the rough shape of the head and setting it in its perspective box. The sun was beginning to set as she smoothed out the round breasts she carved out, the crystal she brought into her room a light green. The snow was beginning to melt, the birds returning to sing and life revivifying itself. Kuina pulls away from the gem, pulling off the bandages stained with blood and changing them into clean ones. She locked her door to make sure no one bothers her while she works, only stopping to eat.

The shine of the sun startles her from her daze, eyes tired from countless nights awake. The finished body sat in its box, the shine of green lighting up the wine pillows. A leg rests in her lap, roughed up from being chipped at, and then put back together. The same had happened with the body until she had the way their hips meld into the thighs. Kuina smiled at the thought of making a body more exquisite than Hancocks. The head is something she would work on last, wanting to focus on everything else. The legs were finished and she puts them into the box. A snap of the latch and she yawns loudly. A quick nap wouldn't hurt her and then she'll go and grab the powdered finish. An hour's worth of sleep turned into a whole day of sleeping, the sun rising the next day with more snow melting away.

She grumbles to herself as she walks down the hallway, a few gems woken up early to see the snow melt away. They greet her with a good morning, some asking what happened to her hands. She ignores them in favor of climbing up the ladder to grab the powdered finish. Kuina stops when one of the gems begins snooping around Robin's things. Of course, it was Perona, who was usually one of the ones who wake up early. Kuina cleared her throat she grabbed her wrist that was reaching for the black tourmaline. "If you're curious, ask Robin yourself. Now get out of here." She pushed Perona who fell back with a yelp. "What a bully!" Perona cries, getting up to run off. Vivi let out a sigh of relief as the Pink Kunzite runs off. "I was trying to stop her but she kept pushing me off." Vivi sighs.

"Don't worry about it," Kuina huffed. Vivi frowns softly as Kuina leaves, staring at her bandaged hands. The human closes the door and leans against it. She sets the bowl of powdered finish down and lies on the bed for a few moments, thinking back to what Robin said to her. "Eye of the Spirit gives morality and perseverance, huh?" Kuina mumbles as she sits up. The furnished body lays in the boxes, the unfinished head waiting to be finished. She grabs the tools she needs and picks up the head. Loud clinks fill the air as she begins carving out the face. Now and then, she would look at the paper with her head design. "What name would fit you, I wonder..." Kuina sighed as she worked on the nose. The sun was melting away the snow outside, voices wandering about. Her hands smoothed over the fine details of the eyelashes she worked on.

A light voice that seemed much happier filled her head. _Hello!_ The voice bumbled around in her head, making her feel much happier now that she was no longer dormant. "Glad to see you're back. I don't know if you can tell, but I'm almost finished with your body!" Kuina hummed, smiling when the voice cheered. "I'm working on your head right now, so once I finished I can piece you together." _I'm glad! I can't wait to see you, Nii-dono._ Kuina raised an eyebrow at the weird use of words. She shrugged off the oddness, setting down the head to piece together eyeballs. "I want you to pick out your own name, okay? As soon as we do, I'll introduce you to everyone." Kuina spoke as she polishes the eyes. A hum buzzed in her head, a smile on Kuina's lips. A few names were written down on paper. 

The eyes fall into place with soft clinks, eyes falling closed immediately. "Almost done..." Kuina takes a small shaping tool and begins working on the hair that reaches underneath the chin. A knock reached her ears but she ignores it. "Kuina-san?" Came a voice. It was Robin. Kuina tucks the head close as she gets up and opens the door. Robin steps inside and closes the door beside her with resin and towels. "You forgot these." She says softly. Robin sets down the things on the sill. "I thought about what you said. You're right Kuina-san." Robin sits down as Kuina goes back to working on the hair. "I see. I should let you know that Perona was snooping through your things so you going to want to start working soon." Kuina looked up at Robin, eyebrows raised. "I see, then I will talk to you later then." Robin leaves as quietly as she came.

Kuina sighs as she brushes away the dust. Kuina hums to herself as she opens the bowl of powder. She taps the face with the brush, blowing away the loose powder. Kuina sets down the head in the box and finished up everything else. She brings them to the area Robin is working, the body pieced together. Kuina wipes her forehead as she sets down the resin. "I see you are going to put them together," Robin eyes the boxes as she slips one of the peridot cylinders into the chest. "Yeah, I've been working on this all winter," Kuina answers, setting down the outfit. Robin slides another cylinder in as Kuina opens the boxes. Another table wash pushed beside the other one, Kuina setting the body pieces down. "She looks wonderful, does she have a name yet?" Robin asks, pausing for a moment.

Kuina grabs one of the wooden knives and the resin, setting it down beside the head. Kuina pulled on gloves quietly, opening the resin bowl. "Not yet, I have a few written down and she is going to pick it out," Kuina answers as she pieces together the body. Robin slipped in the last few crystals and stepped away from the table. Kuina pressed the head and neck together, a clink reverberating between them. She covers the lines with the powdered finish, standing straight. "What a lovely gem..." Robin sighed, leaning on the table with one hand. Kuina pulled off the gloves and grabbed the outfit off to the side. Eyes flutter open. Kuina turns as Robin lets out a surprised noise. "Mm..." Came a voice. Kuina nearly let out an eager squeal as her gem begins to sit up. She bundles up the outfit in her arms and nearly falls onto the table as she trips over her feet. 

Her eyes wander around, lips parted as she turns to look. "Oh, my!" Green eyes meet Robins. She turns to look at the human and smile. Kuina smiles back. "Glad you're awake! Let's get you dressed first and then we can pick out your name." Kuina can't hide the giddy feeling in her stomach, taking the shirt she put in the pile as the Kornerupine sits up. Kuina slides the sleeves of her shirt up her arms, admiring her own work done to the body. The dip of the non-existent spine, details done on the hair. Kuina stands her up to pull on the wide black shorts, flowy dark silk loose around her thighs. They pull tight on her hips, Kuina tucking in the shirt and leaving it open since there was nothing to close it. The sleeves are loose around her arms and tight at the wrist, the Kornerupine playing with the fabric.

Kuina smiles as the gems run her hands over the outfit, spinning around to admire the flowy fabric. "Before you run off, come put these on." Kuina laughs as the gem sits on the table. Long legs bend a bit, the gem much taller than either of them expected. Kuina holds out heeled shoes, the gem sliding them on with ease. She stands up and looks at her body again before hugging the human. "Thank you..." She whispers, Kuina's face red. The human awkwardly pats the gems back before pulling away, holding out a paper with names on it. "What's this?" She asks, taking the paper. Robin smiled as the two interact, pleasantly surprised. "Your names, pick one out and that's your name." "You're not going to name me?" Her eyebrows raised in confusion. Kuina nods. The Kornerupine looks over the paper.

"I like the name, Zora." The gem points at the name on the paper, nails showing her polished inside. Kuina nods and pats the gem's shoulder. "Your name is Zora now! Let's get you to see Koshiro and Mihawk-sensei. By the way, my name is Kuina." Zora nods, looking at Robin with an interesting look. "I'm Robin. It's nice to meet you Zora-chan." Robin lilts. Zora nods and stands beside Kuina, looking a little awkward. She was the same height, if not a little shorter than Robin, arms loosely crossed in front of her. "You two should see them while they're still here. I believe they are in a debriefing for this spring." Robin shoos them away, waving. Zora looks back at Robin before down at her creator. "Kuina-dono?" Zora asks, leaning a bit as they walk together. Kuina hums, walking confidently.

"Who was that boy on the table?" Zora asks. "I don't know his name, but that's Robin's partner. Also, why did you call him boy?" Kuina laces her hands together behind her head as the hallway they were walking down splits. "Because I'm older than both Robin and that boy." Kuina choked on her spit and coughed, coming to a stop. Zora blinks, her round lips pulled into a crooked smile. "I'm a rare gem, and I know many things," Zora says. Kuina raised an eyebrow at her as she cleared her throat. "Anyway, we should get going." Kuina nods and leads Zora to the room where the debriefing is going on. She opens the door and everyone in the room turns to look. "Good morning Mihawk-sensei, Koshiro-sensei," Kuina calls, forcing Zora to bow with her. Mihawk raises an eyebrow as everyone burst into whispers.

Kuina took Zora by the wrist and leads her to stand in front of the two other humans. Mihawk assesses the newcomer before turning to Koshiro. "What is your name, new one?" Koshiro asks softly, setting a gloved hand on top of Zora's head. "Zora." She answers. "Welcome, Zora. Right now we are debriefing what will be going on this spring." Koshiro explains. Zora nods and steps away from the two, returning to her place beside Kuina. The meeting continued like normal, though Kuina found everyone's eyes drawn to the newcomer beside her. "That is all. You may all return to your posts until further notice." "Yes, sensei!" All the gems answer before rushing out of the room. "Zora, come here for a moment." Kuina heard as she was walking to the door. The human pauses for a moment in the doorway, looking to see what's going on.

"Now that you are here, we would like to know how old your approximate age is." Koshiro closes his eyes. "I'm ten-thousand-four-hundred and twenty-one-years-old, sir." Mihawk turned to the side to cough into his hand. Koshiro's eyes are wide, glasses slide down the bridge of his nose. "You are much older than Robin! How are you not one of the first gems?" Koshiro queried, Kuina shifting to close the door until it was just a crack. "Obsidian is much easier to find than I am. I was one of the few but I had returned to the earth because of things I know." She lifts a finger to her lips, sharp eyes hooded. "I know how everything plays out here, and as I am the oldest, what is my duty?" Zora asks. Mihawk clears his throat, the gem turning to him. "For now, we will have you work with Kuina as one of the scouts. Until we find a better job for you, that is all." Zora nods and turns around. 

"Miss Hancock has been misbehaving if you should know. She was been bullying others and destroyed Vincente." Her eyes flit over to the door, her eyes catching Kuina's wide ones. "She did what?!" Koshiro roared, his glasses skewed as Mihawk winced. "We'll see to it that she has a befitted punishment." Mihawk clears his throat as Koshiro fixes his glasses. "Well, I'm glad we see eye-to-eye then." She waved her hand and left. Kuina rubbed her eyes as Zora closes the door behind her. "Kuina-dono?" Zora asked, her eyes soft as she looks at the human. "Oh, uh... it's nothing! Let's get you your weapons and find your bedroom." Kuina smiled and started walking. Zora trails after her, sticking out in her handmade outfit as others flit past her. A certain gem black eyes catch her own, pink hair an annoying shade.

Zora slips her hand into the pocket of the skirt, grabbing the tourmaline. She smiled a fake smile as she passes, Perona frowning at her. "Kuina-dono, it seems Hancock tried to take something." Zora holds out a carved cylinder of black tourmaline. Kuina takes it from her and shakes her head. "Just when I thought she would stop..." The human sighs as they walk down the hallway leading to the area Robin is usually in. Both were expecting to see the body still lying there, but instead, it was Robin sitting on the table looking outside. "Robin! What happened to-" Zora surged forward, jumping over the wall and running through the grass. Standing in the field was the mentioned gem from earlier, a simple shirt over their nude body. Zora caught them as they fell backward. "Oi, are you alright?" Zora asks.

Red eyes blink up at her in surprise, long black hair pooled around them. "You're Vincente, right?" Zora holds the Black Emerald up. "Yes..." He answers softly, voice barely heard above the wind. Robin was jogging through the grass. "Are you okay?!" Robin asks, taking the smaller gem away from Zora. The Black Emerald's eyes slide close and he falls limp in Robin's arms. "Poor kid, sorry we can't do much," Zora says, rubbing Robin's shoulders. "It's quite alright, Zora-chan." Robin shakes her head with a sigh as she lifts the boy. Kuina gave a sad smile, watching as Robin carried Vincente off. Zora sighs.

"I feel bad for her, Kuina-dono." Kuina looked over at Zora, a tight frown on her lips. "For such a newbie, you are pretty nice." The human laughs as Zora smiles. "Yeah, it's not often for someone my age." They begin walking back, Zora quiet beside her. "Let's head to the sword room and you can find your sword." Kuina takes her hand and leads her down the hallway. The crystal lights change from clear to light green with swirling blue. "Was was the world like before?" Kuina asks as they walk, the sun high in the sky even as the crystals produce light. "Very full of life. The world was beautiful and full of humans. They had much different technology then, but I still managed to come around.

I was put back in the earth because I was broken to pieces with a specific fight with the Lunarians. It's was an experience, but I'm glad that my body was able to return to its crystal form." Kuina nods with a hum as they enter a room with a table full of swords. "Sounds unfortunate," Kuina says as they stand in front of the table. "It was. Now, can I pick out whichever one I want?" Kuina nods as Zora leans over the table. "Yup, anyone." Kuina watches with a smug look on her face. "They're all made of Obsidian... I like these two." Zora picks up two blades, both matching. "Nice, now that we have your blades I'll show you to your room."

Zora holds the blades tight in her hands as they leave. Most of the gems are now out of the building for scouting when she sees Hancock pouting. She walks right by her, sticking close to the human as they walk. "She must be upset that she can't leave," Zora snickers once they are out of sight. Kuina laughs right with her as they walk. "So where is my room, Kuina-dono?" The Kornerupine asks. "You're lucky, it's right next to mine," Kuina answers as they stop in front of a room. Zora steps into the room to look around. A crystal sitting in a large wooden bowl full of sterile water on the sill.

Her cot's off to the left and there are a few flowers, but other than that her room was pretty bare. "Thank you." Zora bows, standing straight with a smile. Kuina just waves her off with a bashful look. "it's nothing, just be prepared for when we leave for scouting." Kuina pats Zora on the head and leaves with a close of the door. Zora sighs and turns to look out the window. The thought of being out on the field is exhilarating as it is nervous. But everything will turn out well. A mirror she didn't know was on the wall catches the light, making her step towards it. She stares at herself in the mirror, enraptured by the minute details.

The hand-sewn silk outfit sways with each step, hair nearly life-like. Her eyes are nothing like she imagined, sharp and narrow. Eyelashes glimmer and round lips part in surprise. This was more than what she thought, but she was happy either way. Those words were spoken by Robin, true to the mind.

_The Eye of the Spirit gives perseverance and Morality._

How funny.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes will be fixed!


	3. Strength of the Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She may be headstrong, but that doesn't always mean she is. Vulnerability is a weakness in many, but a strength in hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes will be fixed!

Zora relishes in the sunlight, raising her head to bask in the rays. Kuina stands beside her with a smile on her face. "How does it feel? To be up and about?" Kuina asks. "It feels great, Kuina-dono. The land has changed much since then." Zora listened to her swords clack against her thighs, black straps from her outfit holding them up. "I'd assume so." The human laughs as she comes up beside Zora. A hand slides across her slim back, adjusting the straps of her sword holsters. "Can't have these coming loose, just in case." Kuina gives a wink and steps away. The grass dances across their legs, standing quietly.

"Boringgggg~" Kuina sighs, stretching her arms above her head. Zora lets out a huff at the sight, smiling softly. It was quiet outside, the flowers of spring now in bloom. "How have the sunspot activities been?" Zora asks, looking over at her creator. "Nothing much, we have no idea what's been going on." Kuina shrugged as she takes her sword and plants it in the soft dirt of the earth. Zora hums and looks to the sky. Kuina looks over at Zora, watching the styled hair swaying in the warm spring breeze. "You're rare, right?" Zora turns from the sky to look at her human. Sharp eyes are soft, looking at her with such an intense look of sweetness. 

"Yeah, I'm one of the very rare ones. It's kind of lonely, y'know? Sometimes I thought I'd never be found but Robin did, somehow." Zora rolled her shoulder, turning to face Kuina. "I can kind of understand, I guess. I mean, It's pretty lonely since my dad is so focused on the gems." Kuina shrugged her shoulders, looking off in the distance. Zora searched her face before turning back to look at the sky. "Yeah, sometimes it gets like that. I'm glad I have you though, it's not so lonely." Zora smiled more to herself than Kuina, eyes soft. "Yeah..." That heart-to-heart moment seemed to make Kuina feel a little better. 

Zora hummed softly, ears focusing on everything around them. The sound of bells ringing, unlike the giant one at the building, rang in her ears. Zora settled her hands on both her blades, which caught the attention of the human. "We got company," Zora says, watching the sky intently. Kuina stood up, stopping when Zora looked back at her. "I've got this, don't worry. You go and get Mihawk-sensei." Zora draws her blades, the sound of it scraping against the wood. "Uh, okay! I'll be back soon." Kuina ran off, her breath stuttering in her throat at the sight of the Kornerupine standing in front of the growing inkblot in the sky.

Zora watched as petals began falling from the inky blackness. The flowy silk of the halo appears and Zora ready herself. The loud ring of the bell rang across the land. Zora smirks. The Lunarians dressed in white ready their spears, blank eyes focused on her. The taut sound of the bow-string snapping jaunts her into action. Glitter falls from her hair as she runs, light on her feet. Rows of spears follow after her, jumping over rocks and running through the grass. She jumps into the air, taking one of her blades and readying it. She slices through the air and a gust of wind slices at the front row of the white beings. 

She lands on the halo, blades lighting up in the sun. Hoards of footsteps grab her attention. Zora sighs and dashes forward, slicing through the Lunarians that disperse into white clouds. The jangle of white bead sings in her ears as she slices at the Lunarian, jumping back. When the Halo didn't disperse, her eyes widen as strings linked with black crystals and gold hooks shoot out of the cut in half body. "Watch out!" Zora heard Kuina shout. Zora's mind stutters and she finds herself stepping backward. Her feet slip and she's tumbling off the halo. Kuina let out a shout of alarm, Zora shrieking. 

One of the strings hooks around her waist, pulling her out of the air. Zora swings her sword, cutting off the string. She lands on the ground, Kuina running over to assess her. Mihawk snaps his fingers and the halo bursts into a cloud of color. Black crystals rain out of the sky, Zora collapsing against Kuina. "Are you alright?" Another voice asked. Zora opened her eyes to see Robin rushing over. "Yeah, I'm fine." Zora pats herself down as Kuina unwraps the string from her leg. Robin lifts her leg to see a crack where the hook hit her, a few glimmering green pieces beside her. "Minimal damage, all you'll need is a simple patch-up." Kuina lets out a sigh of relief.

Zora picks up the pieces and pushes them back into her leg, taking the wooden knife slathered with resin. "I'm glad you chose to ring the bell, Kuina." Koshiro praises, everyone whispering to each other. Harsh eyes glare at Zora, Robin patching up the finish. "Zora told me too, so you should be thanking her." Zora waved a hand and stood up. As short as the battle was, that was the most nerve-racking. "Don't worry about it, it was nothing." Zora takes the sword sticking out of the ground and sheaths it with a soft click of the wood. Kuina wipes away the grass sticking to her as Vivi rushes out with a few bowls to pick up the shining gems.

Koshiro smiles at Zora, who returns it with a soft one. She turns to look at Hancock, her two underlings glaring at Kuina and Robin. "The Lunarian seemed to be a new one if you haven't seen it before," Zora says, Robin humming as she helps Vivi. "I see, be sure to document it when you have the chance." Mihawk sighs, Koshiro nodding. Zora turns away and stands beside Kuina, leaning against her slightly. "Good job, Zora." Kuina praises, patting Zora's hip. Her cheeks darken into green as she gives a shy smile. "I'll have to identify this gem, if you could help me Kuina, Zora?" Robin looks over at the pair, eyes soft.

"Sure," Zora answers, pulling away from her creator. Kuina follows, taking one of the bowls. Zora takes the other from Vivi, who thanks her, and helped Robin up. "If that is all, everyone may return to their post." Koshiro waves his hand and everyone disperses. The trio return to the building. "Hancock has been eyeing you a lot since you first showed," Robin speculates, setting down one of the bowls on the sill. The boy is still resting on the table, holes no longer full of the Peridot. "Have you tried the Tourmaline?" Kuina asks, taking the bowl from Zora and setting it down. "Not yet, I was about to when we were all called out."

Zora looks over at the boy, stepping closer to the table. Kuina and Robin talk, the two of them searching for the tools necessary to look at the crystals. Zora moves past them fluidly, taking the tourmaline off the shelf and inspecting it. "Is something wrong, Zora-chan?" Robin asks. "Just looking at something, don't worry about me," Zora answers, taking the other cylinders and setting them down on the table. Kuina watches silently as she pulls on the gloves she never wears with the outfit, hands of elegance spread over the holes. Her fingers trace the edge of each one, her other doing the same to the cylinders.

"The edges have worn down over the use of each hole..." Zora mumbles, Robin's ears picking the words up. Kuina goes back to looking at the gem while Robin focuses on Zora while working. "Maybe this could work..." Zora steps away from the table to grab the chipping tool. Zora runs a hand over the shining hair, carving out the holes. Once the edge was sharp, she crushed up the gems to mix in with the shards of Black Emerald before piecing them back together. They slide into place with ease, Zora working quietly. "I would monitor him for the day, and if there is no movement, you'll have to find a gem with a similar compound to him," Zora explains.

"I see. I shall keep that in mind then." Robin nods as Zora puts away the tool and resin. "I can't seem to figure out what this is." Kuina groans, setting down the crystal back in the bowl. "It's black Diamond." Zora answers. She takes a mallet and one of the crystals. She hits it a specific angle a few times and it cracks along the cleavage before splitting open. "See?" Robin leans forward, an impressed look on her face. "You know your stuff. She is right, it's Black Diamond." Robin nods. "It doesn't seem to be a person we know of since all of us are archived..." Kuina taps her chin. "It must've been one of the ones like me, unfurnished and recently discovered." Zora shrugs.

Kuina winces at the thought. "Yikes, you could be right. I'll have Vivi check the archives." Kuina sighs and rubs the back of her neck with a hum. Zora nods and watches as Robin sweeps the crystal into the bowl. "I shall put these in the case then." Robin leaves, leaving the two of them. Zora gives a yawn and fans her face. "I think I'll take a nap in my room, I haven't been getting a lot of suns." "You can do that, I'll get you when we are needed to do evening scouting." Kuina waves Zora goodbye. Zora smiles and waves back. She wanders down the hallway that doesn't lead to her room. She walks up a flight of stairs to the rooms above.

They're furnished and decorated, unlike her own. Zora narrows her eyes when she stops in front of a certain someone's room. She looks around before stepping into the room. There's carpeting and plush pillows. Zora walks over to the shelves and pushed a few things out of the way. Black gems catch her eyes, obviously not tourmaline. "Sneaky bitch..." Zora mutters as she takes the gems. Zora pushes everything back in place and leaves quietly, going to her room. She sets down the old cylinders of black crystals on the sill. Zora pulls off the gloves she left on and lays on the sill to bask in the sun.

She has no means to sleep, saying that was to get was Robin's back from Hancock. Her inclusions sing at the light, eating it up with gusto. Zora hums, thinking of her creator as she does. A knock pulls her from her thoughts. Cloudy blue hair catches her eyes. "Vivi? What're you doing here?" Zora sits up, hiding the black emerald with her body. "Just came to see how you are fairing. You seem to be very close with Kuina-sensei." Vivi smiles as she steps into the room. Zora makes a face at the gem before looking out the window. "You all lack the means to make bonds, it's pathetic. Idealistic ideologies turn you into someone like Hancock. 

I've seen too many like her, but as long as she doesn't get in the way, I don't care." Zora watches as crystals below run about, eyes hard. "I know. You are much older than all of us, so you are much wiser. I know you took what doesn't belong to Hancock-san, and I commend you for it, but is there another way to go about this?" Vivi stands across from Zora, her eyes sad. "When she decides enough is enough, the day when Robin snaps is hell to come. I know you are young, but you had the opportunity to stop something like this from happening. Instead of thinking for yourself, think about others sometimes." Vivi looks out the window with her.

"How selfless." "Of course, we should dedicate our lives to the ones who made us and fall gracefully in battle. Our creators should be prioritized, not us." Zora turned to glare at Vivi. Vivi flinched at the action, looking down at the floor with a frown. "Sorry..." She apologized. Zora scoffs, eyes narrowed. "Please, save your apologies for when you fall in battle." Vivi nods, playing with her hands. "Now go, my affiliation with Kuina-dono is none of your concern." Zora turned back to look out the window. Vivi leaves without another word. Zora is left to her devices.

Kuina rubs her neck at the sight, wondering what she should give to Zora to decorate her room. Kuina rubs her shoulder as she looks between each of the items. She picks up a jade hairpin, eyeing it. It's not much to decorate her room, but a gift is a gift nonetheless. Kuina pushes the other items to the shelves, a reminder to put them away when she comes back to her room. Kuina looks at the hairpin and imagines Zora standing in front of the mirror she put in there for her, gathering her detailed strands and putting them into an up-do. Kuina felt her cheeks warm at the thought and quickly shakes her head.

With a confident stride, she walks over to Zora's room. There she is sitting on the sill, dozing. The slope of her neck bare as she looks out the window with lidded eyes. The shirt and overalls of her outfit slide off her shoulder, showing her shoulders and sculpted breasts a bit. Kuina knocks on the doorway. Zora's head whips to her with a hard look in her eyes, only for it to soften immediately. "Kuina-dono! What brings you here? It isn't time for our evening scout," Zora sits up, long legs move to place her feet on the ground. Zora fixes her outfit to look more presentable. Kuina's mind stutters at the sight of Zora smoothing out the wrinkles of her clothes, hands slow and meticulous. 

"I uh, oh! I got you this!" Kuina holds out the jade hairpin as Zora stands up, waiting to see her reaction. Zora takes the pin and looks at it with curious eyes. "Pretty... is it made of jade?" Zora asks, lifting it to get a closer look in the light. Swirls of blue and green shine in the light, gold jewelry hanging off. "Yeah, I made it a long time ago with leftover jade crystals." Kuina smiles as Zora steps over to the mirror. Her eyes trace the curve of her back, loving how the fabric of the shorts pull across her rump but are still loose and flowy. Best creation yet! Hands pull up the hair, curling around the crystal's fingers.

"Though my hair doesn't work like yours, I can still style it in similar ways thanks to your meticulous details," Zora praises, smiling as she pulls the strands into a beautiful up-do. The gold clinks against her hair, strands not pulled tight slipping loose and hand in her face. Kuina's heart skips a beat. "I like this a lot. Thank you, Kuina-dono." Zora smiled brightly. "No problem!" Kuina chuckles to hide the change in her. "We can head out now if you want," Kuina says after a moment of silence. "Of course, just give me a few moments and we can head back out. Kuina nods and leaves the room quickly. 

Zora looks back at the cylinders that Kuina didn't see, her lips pursed. She gathers them into her arms and hides them away where she knows Hancock wouldn't bother to look. The gloves she had slid back on ride up her palm only for her to pull them back down. Zora leaves her room once she has everything in place. The air of confidence is bright around her as she walks, gems staring with interest. The sky outside was beginning to orange, afternoon ready to draw to a close. "There you are, Zora!" Kuina waved a hand, a smile on her face as she jumps around eagerly. Zora felt her body warm, usually cold.

"Are you ready, Kuina-dono?" Zora asks softly, walking beside her. "Yup! The quadruplets will take over in a few hours for the night." Kuina pats a hand on Zora's upper back, still smiling. Zora raises an eyebrow, thinking of the gem with curled purple hair. "They're calcite, right? I heard they work the best at night." Zora wanders with her creator, eyes on the sky. "Yup, but... the Lunarians never show during the night." Kuina's smile dropped, her eyes hard. "The Lunarians... I don't even know where they came from." Zora's eyes harden when she looks over at the Human, a frown on her face.

"That... I can't say for sure. Gems who have tried to look into the Lunarians seldom came back. If been alone for a long time..." Zora sighs, stopping in the field of wildflowers they walked through. Kuina walked forward a few steps before stopping to look behind. "What do you mean?" Kuina asks. "Those who have gone to the moon never come back. They change sides. I was the only gem to stay and fight while the others left me behind." The pin in her hair loosens as a strong gust of wind blows by. Kuina watches her creations every movement, on edge. "They took most of the gems lying dormant. I had almost lost that battle..."

Zora draws one of her swords, Kuina frozen in place. Had she taken it too far? "I hate the ones who left me, and resent the ones prized by unoriginal ideas." Her blade glints, the tip pointed at Kuina. Zora's eyes are cold, a frown on her face. She jumps into the air, sailing through the sky as her pin falls from her hair. A staff whizzes right by Kuina, hair flying as Zora's sword cracks against the white metal. A swing and they fly back, clouds of white bursting. Kuina turns to look over her shoulder with wide eyes. "Vulnerability is the weakness of the mind," Zora's brows are turned down, obviously angry.

"Acting like you give up is what makes you weak!" Zora pushes herself off the ground, grass flying up after her. She lands on the fabric of the black cloud, petals of white flying. Zora runs, blades flying and cutting through each Lunarian that dares to stand in her way. She ducks as arrows go flying, body arched elegantly that it's nearly lethal. Blinding green, smooth movements. Zora jumps and cuts through the golden bowl meant to harvest her kind. Loud squeals of mixed voices grate against her ears, cutting through the body. Zora winces, her blade cutting through the Lunarian's halo with ease. The cloud disappears underneath her.

"It makes me sick," Zora spits, landing in front of Kuina with practiced ease. "Watching people give up. I hate it." Zora picks up the pin that fell, looking at it in her hand. She turns to Kuina with a sad smile, eyes closed. A vision of Robin flashes before the human, the look jarred through her heart. "Don't you think that sometimes?" Her eyes open and the swords are sheathed. "Sometimes, I wish everything was different." Zora walked past Kuina, her back against the humans. "It's a pain. While you age, I never will. I'll lose you and nothing with ever be the same. But that's how I was made..." Zora looks down as Kuina looks up.

"Zora..." Kuina whispers, turning around. Her hands balled up into fists. "I'm perfect, I'm beautiful, desired by the enemies. What more could anyone ask for? I can't even remember what I'm fighting for, Kuina-dono..." Zora hides her face in one of her hands. Kuina's brows are furrowed. "What? Where is this all coming from?" Kuina grabs Zora's shoulder, a look of concern on her face. "Do you know why we are fighting? Do you know why the humans in the rest of the world are gone?" Kuina was taken aback, there's a reason. Of course, there's a reason! But... she was never told that reason.

Kuina made a sour face. "See? You were never told." Zora takes Kuina's hand, playing with the fingers. "I hope things don't change, but even then..." Zora stopped playing with her hands, a sad look engraved on her face. "Nevermind. We should head back!" Zora pulls away with a smile, walking back. Kuina walks after her, the silence between them loud. When they made it back, the four crystals were already on their way out, nodding their heads at them. Kuina tells Zora goodnight and goes ahead, needing time to herself. Zora watches, eyes soft. "It seems something is going on between you two..." Zora turns to see Robin. "Ne, Zora-chan?"

"Quit playing games." Zora frowns, watching as Robin sighs. "I know..." Zora narrows her eyes, storming forward to grab Robin by the lapels of her coat. "Say one thing, and it's all over." Robin just continues to smile, raising her hands in defeat. "Look, Zora, I don't know what happened between you two." Zora loosens her hold, eyes wide in surprise. "Just... be careful okay? Getting too attached is dangerous." Robin runs her hand over Zora's head, watching as she collapses against her chest. "I know... but I've been so alone..." Zora whispers, closing her eyes in defeat. "I know that feeling well..."

Zora pulled away, looking down. "If you cannot sleep tonight, you are more than welcome to help Vincente. I cannot spend any more night up." Robin motions down the lit hallway, the body still resting on the table. "I don't mind," Zora whispers, still looking away. "Thank you." Robin pats Zora one last time before leaving. Zora rushes to her room to grab the cylinders, hoping they were still there. Kuina's light to her room wasn't there, her room completely quiet. Zora shakes her head and opens the door quietly to her own. The cylinders are still in place, a smug smirk now on her lips. She gathers them into her arms and leaves.

When she makes it back, she can see the soft glowing hair in the distance of the calcite crystals. Zora pays no mind as she pulls the blanket off of Vincente. The holes in his chest are empty, where she had scaled them refined with the chips. She brings one of the crystal lights close as she quietly works. "What're ya doing?" Came a voice that startled her. She grabs her sword with turns around in a flash. Pink hair with yellow strands, drowsy-looking eyes that matched the colors. "Who're you?!" Zora demands, looking bewildered. They laugh, chin planted in their hands moving as they stand.

"Lux, cobaltoan calcite." They press a hand to their chest with a wink, a devious smile on their lips. Zora lowers the blade before sheathing it and turning around. "Go back on watch, kid." The elder gem waves a hand at them as she begins working again. "Now don't be like that! I see that you and that human got into a little quarrel, huh?" Zora ignores them as she slides the emeralds back into place. "Don't you have better things to do?" "Look you old coot, I'm trying to be nice here." Zora felt her brow twitch in annoyance. Zora swings her arm and it cracks against the other head with a loud, jarring noise.

A crack runs down their face, a face of surprise in their eyes when no cracks run up Zora's arm. "I'm not that old, shithead. Now get lost." Zora rolls her eyes when they whine at the cracks. Zora finishes sliding in the cylinders and locks them into place with access resin before wiping up the rest. "I'm not here to play games with you, so don't make me tell you again." Zora takes the powder finish and covers up the exposed crystals. Lux pouts, assessing the damage to their face. "Whatever, I was gonna tell you that the two sensei's won't pray." Zora huffs, cocking her hip to the side. "I know that, it's nothing new." 

"You know a lot of things." Lux jumps the wall and stands next to the taller gem. "Yes, I do." She replies sarcastically. Zora picks up Vincente with ease, taking the sleeping form and moving them to lay down on the wall. "I looked in the records, and I saw a name by Roronoa. Know anything about them?" "I am Roronoa, but my new name is Zora." Zora kicks them in the shin, hissing at them to move. Lux jumps a bit before glaring at her. "Okay, almighty Zora." They wave their hands around and Zora wants to hit them. "What the hell are you getting at, you nosy shit?" Zora sits beside the sleeping form, rubbing her head.

"Why are you the only archived one? Shouldn't there be other gems from your time?" She sighs a loud sigh, eyes looking at them. "You sure want to know a lot of things, don't ya?" "Is there a problem with it?" "Sorta, but I won't stop you. The reason why is because they're all on the moon." Lux sputters out an apology, eyes wide. "Don't apologize, you didn't know." Zora turns to look outside, the moon glowing an ethereal blue. "The sun is going to rise in a few hours, you don't want to be caught slacking." Zora snickers when they make a face. "Shut up! Now I see why some of the others don't like you."

"Let them, hatred be damned. Unlike them, I prioritize protection, not beauty." Lux rolls their eyes. They jump over the wall, standing in the grass. "You aren't so bad, I guess. I'll see you around when I feel like it." Lux waves goodbye and Zora watches them run off, shaking her head. Such a child. She must've dozed because the sun was beginning to rise, her body warm with the rays of the sun. A blanket was set over her, a body leaning against her own. "Ah, you're awake!" Vincente's soft voice greets her. "Thank you so much for helping me! Would-" Zora presses a finger to his lips, still groggy.

"Hol' up," Zora mumbles, yawning loudly. She blinks as she stretches, spreading out like a cat. "Okay," Zora sighs, noting how Vincente seemed to be wearing a simple shirt with shorts. "Oh right! Thank you!" Arms encircle her, picking her up. She yelps and flails about, shorts riding up. Cheeks are green, red eyes shining with wonder. "I've never got a good look at you before, but you're really pretty." Zora sighed when she was set down on the ground, fixing her outfit. "Thanks, I guess." Zora rubs his head, watching him close their eyes and lean into the touch. "Good thing you're awake now."

Vincente hums and then his eyes soften. "How can you act so strong and vulnerable at the same time?" She hums, not giving an answer. Vincente stands, fixing his outfit. "You're curious too, huh? About the Lunarians?" Vincente whispers. Zora looked over at him with knowing eyes. "We both know what would happen." "Just because we know won't stop us." She laughs, the sky still orange as the sun rises. "You're right, but you shouldn't. Robin would be sad if she lost you for good." Vincente looks down. "Yes, she would. Zora-san?" Zora looks up at the younger gem. "Do you like the body that was given to you?"

Her eyes drop down to her own body, the fabric rustling. "I do," Zora nods. "I know you like the body you have now." He nods, smiling. "I've heard in the moments I was awake that a gem was brought down from the moon, do you know what it is?" Zora stands up and flattens out her shorts. "Black diamond. I haven't seen that gem since the day I was made. I don't think it ever got a body or a name." Zora shrugs, Vincente following after her. "I see, shall we go and see?" It probably wouldn't hurt to do so. "I guess, but hopefully Robin won't take my head." Vincente giggled at the thought.

The walk to the main room was quick, talking softly as to not disturb some of the still resting gems. "Oh my, a lot have things have changed..." Vincente looked through the cases of crystals, red eyes glimmering. "Seems so. Anyway, there's the black diamond." Zora points her finger at the gems resting in one of the cases. "Oh, I can't say I've seen this one before." Vincente runs a hand over his hips, lips quirked as he thinks. "No, sorry." Zora waves him off. "Nothing to worry about." "There you are!" Vincente jumps when the door opens with a loud groan, Robin standing in the doorway looking completely panicked.

Vincente was picked up and swung around, Zora smiling at the sight as he shrieks. "Ro-Robin!" He squeaks, cheeks a deep green. People peeked their heads into the room from the loud commotion. "Vincente?" "He's awake!" gems flood into the room, Zora stepping out of the way. Vincente sent her a pleading look only for Zora to leave with a smile. Her eyes are on the floor as she walks, ignoring how everyone passes her with greetings. She finds herself standing outside in the grass, looking up at the sky. Her eyes are soft, reminiscing on her past.

_"Shh... I'll be back soon..." Came the voice of someone she knew so well. A hand with black nails runs over her cheek, eyes full of love looking down at her._

_"Wait for me."_


End file.
